Importance of SisterHood

 To be sisters implies that there is an unbreakable bond between two or more individuals. Sisters take care of each other, watch out for each other, comfort each other, and are there for each other through thick and thin defending even wrong should it need be. Sisters do not have to share genetics or biology to be sisters. The Lord has said, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” The adversary would have us be critical or judgmental of one another. He wants us to concentrate on our differences and not compare ourselves to one another. We have been God-given talents, each to their own, to develop and use for good. The fact of the matter is, we really and truly need each other. Women naturally seek friendship, support, and companionship. We have so much to learn from one another, and we often let self-imposed barriers, perceived notions of negative, mistakes of others to keep us from enjoying associations which could be among the greatest blessings in our lives. I love the example we have in the first chapter of Luke which describes the sweet relationship between Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth. Mary was a young woman when she was informed of her remarkable mission to be the mother of the Son of God. Initially it must have seemed to be a heavy responsibility to bear alone. It was the Lord Himself who provided Mary with someone to share her load. Through the message of the angel Gabriel, Mary was given the name of a trusted and sympathetic woman to whom she could turn for support; her cousin Elizabeth.

There are days when I wish I had family I could turn to but that is not to be in this life. Self-destruction can seem to be the normal among those we meet along the way. I have a woman who claims Christ but acts otherwise; the gossip, the negative, acts, the unpaid judgment, the falsehoods. And yet, I believe that she is part of the sisterhood that teaches me how to love her in a way that she can be loved; from a distance. Her lessons have made me strong, confident, and strengthed the relationships that matter most to me. She has encouraged me to succeed far past what I thought I could and I look forward to the more that I can be. That is a beautiful reflection of sisterhood!

If there are barriers, it is because we ourselves have created them. We must stop concentrating on our differences and look for what we have in common; then we can begin to realize our greatest potential and achieve the greatest good in this world. We have been blessed with tender and charitable natures which enable us to render Christlike love and service to those around us. This Christmas has given me a new perspective on what I want my new year to be; joyful, compassionate, endearing, seeking truth, and loving all women, despite how I am treated.

As we look beyond our differences in age, culture, and circumstance to nurture and serve one another, we will be filled with the pure love of Christ and the inspiration which leads us to know when and whom to serve.